Mysuru:
Mysuru is set to witness an unusual march this Teachers’ Day — not for a political cause or a social demand, but for the voiceless creatures whose lives, activists say, are routinely shaped by human choices.
The city will host its first-ever Animal Liberation March on September 5, with around 150 participants from across Karnataka expected to take part. Organised by the Vegan India Movement, the march will begin at the DC Office at 3.30 p.m. and culminate at the Mysuru Town Hall.
The organisers say the march is aimed at challenging speciesism — the belief that human interests automatically take precedence over the interests of other sentient beings — and drawing attention to the widespread exploitation of animals.
At a press conference, Vegan India Movement organiser Amjor Chandran said society must expand its circle of moral concern beyond conventional companion animals such as dogs and cats. “Animals are not ours to be used and exploited,” Chandran said, stressing that all sentient beings deserve moral consideration.
The campaign seeks to question the use of animals across various commercial industries and advocates a shift away from animal-derived food products, including meat, eggs, dairy and honey. The dairy industry is expected to be a major focus of the campaign. Organisers highlighted practices such as artificial insemination of cows and buffaloes and the fate of male calves, which they alleged are often considered economically unviable.
Local activist Vasudha spoke about her own change in perspective. She said she once believed that cows naturally “gave” milk to humans, but changed her views after learning about the processes involved in commercial dairy production. She subsequently stopped consuming milk and other animal products.
The organisers also maintain that embracing a plant-based lifestyle need not mean compromising health, pointing to scientific research supporting appropriately planned plant-based diets. The choice of Teachers’ Day for the march is deliberate, organisers said. They want the occasion to symbolise learning, questioning long-held assumptions and “unlearning” practices that cause suffering.
Drawing parallels with other forms of discrimination, the activists argue that speciesism too deserves greater public scrutiny. Their message is that moral progress should not stop at the boundaries of human society but extend to other sentient beings.
With Mysuru’s streets providing the backdrop, the march promises to bring a different kind of debate to the city — one centred on compassion, consumption and humanity’s relationship with the animal world.